A Taste of Strawberries
by OpheliacAngel
Summary: Dean wakes up not quite feeling like himself. He thinks Gabriel's to blame, he just doesn't know how wrong he is. 1st in my Black Roses Red verse. Girl!Dean/Gabriel as requested by Mithya Aviana Cailin. A little angsty but also fluffy. More info inside.
1. A Date With My New Girlfriend

**A Taste of Strawberries **

**Chapter 1: A Date With My New Girlfriend**

**Written by OpheliacAngel**

**Dean/Gabriel**

**Genre: **Romance/Family

**Song Featured: **My verse is named after Alana Grace's "Black Roses Red". Lyrics are from Type O Negative's "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend".

"**Black Roses Red" verse: **This is the 1st fic in the collection. Dean & Gabriel love each other, even if they're hard-pressed to show it at times. One thing the archangel so much wants to change is Dean's remarkable ability to doubt himself, his mentality that he doesn't deserve to be saved. He will show him just how much he means to the world and to him. Gabriel is on a mission to turn Dean's black roses red.

**Summary: **Written as a request from Mithya Aviana Cailin, who asked for Girl!Dean & Gabriel. Thanks for the great idea! Dean wakes up not quite feeling like himself. He thinks Gabriel's to blame, he just doesn't know how wrong he is.

**A/N: **I promised myself that I'd chill out a little on the angst, considering my last Dabriel story. But alas, I am an angst girl, so while this story may not be completely angsty, there is some angst, but then it turns to fluff and it should be all good after that. Add that to the fact that it turned out so much longer than I actually expected. That's what happens when Dean and Gabriel steal my heart & soul. Anyway, enough of my chattering, Enjoy :D

Word: Blush

**XxXx**

**~It's no secret we're close**

**As sweaty velcro**

**Like latex, fur and feather**

**Stuck together now~**

**XxXx**

He felt… weird. Not in a painful way, like he just got shot and didn't notice it while hunting a werewolf last night with Sam. He just felt strange, like he wasn't himself or something.

He groaned at the oppressive sunlight forcing him to wake up as he lay in bed. Dean sat up and looked over at Sam's snoring form on the bed, completely oblivious to what was going on with his brother. Hell, was anything even going on with him? With that final thought, Dean Winchester headed into the bathroom and looked up into the mirror.

He knew what he had expected to see, a slightly disheveled and grumpy, but relatively sexy looking version of himself. Not exactly on top of his game with his shuffling feet, color drained face, and minor dark circles under the eyes, but still him, still Dean Winchester. He wanted, needed to see a man, with short spiky hair and masculine features.

He didn't like that he didn't see that. He didn't like it at all.

"Gabriel!"

He knew this was his doing, thought playing games with him was fun and relatively harmless. Half the time Dean ended up humiliated and barely able to hold back the tears. He hated that Gabriel had that much of an effect on him. Gabriel had promised him he would stop, he hated it when Dean was depressed and withholding sex from him. But apparently the archangel, _his_ archangel, was bored again. And he was really _really_ sick and tired of this bullshit.

"Goddamn it, Gabriel! Get down here!"

Sam's voice drifted in from the bedroom, "Dean? What's going on?"

He felt bad that he completely forgot Sam was asleep, but he was shocked, shocked beyond belief at the face that stared back at him in the mirror, the body he saw. He would scream his lungs out if it would make Gabriel get down there.

"Sam, don't come in here!"

His little brother's tired voice suddenly changed into one of confusion and curiosity. Shit. He couldn't let Sam see him like this, he would never live it down.

"Just go back to bed, Sam!"

"What? Why?"

Sam appeared in the doorway and Dean tried to hide, tried to run, but he wasn't quick enough. He couldn't take all this stress in one day, he could barely think straight. Dean also had no doubt that Sam would have noticed his dramatic changes no matter what speed he was running at, and he couldn't hide from him forever.

"Holy shit."

His little brother looked him up and down as if he were a circus freak, as if he had just sprouted ten legs or something. All Dean could do was stand there, looking uncomfortable. Actually, uncomfortable was a majorunderstatement. He was about ready to throttle Gabriel for his huge _huge _mistake.

Sam continued to look at him, in complete shock, until he burst out laughing. He ended up doubling over and fighting to maintain a somewhat upright position. Dean growled and slammed the door shut in his face.

"Guess you don't have to worry about being gay anymore, dude", Sam commented on the other side of the door when he had managed to calm down for the most part.

Dean hated this. He _really _hated this.

A few minutes went by before Sam spoke again, Dean had collapsed back on the toilet, afraid to look back into the mirror. He was practically shaking with rage and embarrassment. He honestly didn't know if he could forgive Gabriel for this. This was just beyond any measure of forgiveness.

"Dean? You still in there? Come on, man, just come out. You look fine."

"No, I don't, Sam."

"It's still you in there, Sam reassured him, you'll always be my big brother, no matter what."

He was gonna say, thanks Sammy, if not for his added words, "Well, big sister."

Then he started laughing again, causing Dean to retreat further into himself and check again to make sure the door was locked. There was no way he was going back out there to face Sam's scrutiny again. He had his pride, and his dignity, and his… manhood to maintain. He could stay in here for as long as he had to.

He told himself to buck up and look in the mirror again, to see if he saw that creature again. And there she was, he was, in all her, his glory.

The first thing to be noticed was the long, curly dirty brown hair that cascaded down his shoulders. It was so long, so real, so not him. His lips were big and pink, the exact kind he would have died for to see in a girl. But not on him, definitely not on him. His eyes were still hazel, but they seemed brighter, glowing, masked by long and thick eyelashes and ultra thin eyebrows. His cheeks had a reddish glow to them, and he sure as hell hoped he wasn't wearing any makeup. That was just too traumatic to bear.

Then down to his body. Oh no. he didn't even want to discuss that. There was no sane reason why breasts should be found anywhere on his body. They were medium sized, not huge thank god, no wonder he had felt awkward waking up. And his body was skinny, not in an anorexic way just that he didn't have much fat on him. And his muscles, his beloved muscles were completely gone. He wanted to cry like a girl at the loss of them, except it was made even more strange by the fact that he was technically a girl now. It was a miracle in itself that he hadn't shrunk in his height. He was already shorter than Sammy, anymore so would prove to be unbearable.

He found himself to be in the same clothes he usually wore, his leather jacket looking too big on him, but still good, and his worn out jeans hanging down a little too much for his liking. He adjusted his belt and then sat back down, ignoring Sam's off and on laughing.

"Fuck you, Gabriel. You come down here when I call."

Two seconds later, his brother's voice came in through the door, "Dean, Gabriel's here."

Dean yanked the door open and lunged.

**XxXx**

He had his hands on Gabriel and wanted to punch him so badly, but the archangel was too strong, taking control of his hands and pushing Dean away from him lightly. Dean stood there glaring at him, panting with so much pent up rage, revved up and ready to go for another round. He wouldn't be able to hurt Gabriel though. And this was the most frustrating of all, because Gabriel didn't want to hurt him either, he would just laugh at his failed attempts to attack him. Being in a relationship with an archangel wronged him in more ways than he could count. He wondered why he was still with him anyway.

Gabriel looked slightly amused, until he looked at his mate's body more closely, "Whoa, easy there, Dean…o."

Gabriel actually had his poker face on, which pissed Dean off to no end. There was nothing but shock and confusion written on his face, which only made Dean want to kill him more. He wasn't even going to admit to doing it, the bastard. He was just gonna stand there and act stupid. Well, Dean would just have to make it known how much of a mistake that really was.

"Turn me back, right now", he demanded, knowing all too well demanding anything of Gabriel was a lost cause.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"The hell you don't! You're the one that turned me into… he motioned down at his insanely wrong body, this… this… this chick!"

The shock was still on Gabriel's face, and Dean couldn't believe that he cared about him this little.

"This isn't funny, Gabriel. I'm through with all your bullshit. You wanna turn someone into a girl then do it to Sam. I'm surprised he wasn't born a girl as it is.

"Hey!" Sam butt in, looking over at Gabriel, as if he expected him to back him up.

"You seriously don't think this is funny?" He asked Gabriel incredulously.

"Of course I do, the archangel shot back, I'm just still trying to figure out why Dean thinks I did it."

Dean was left speechless. Gabriel didn't lie, well, usually he didn't. And if Gabriel really had turned him, Dean knew Gabriel wouldn't leave him hanging like this. He would laugh, or brag to Sam about his amazing abilities or something. But he would tell him.

"You're saying you didn't do this?"

"Well, if you had actually given me a chance to talk before almost slamming me against the nearest wall, then maybe you would have known that five minutes ago."

Dean put his head in his hands and dropped down onto the bed, "I actually kinda wish it had been you. Cause then we could fix this, then I wouldn't have to figure out who the fuck did this to me."

He didn't have the will to think about anything at the moment. If they had been hunting a witch last night, then maybe that would explain it all. Unfortunately, werewolves couldn't cast spells, no matter how much he wished they could. He had no leads, nothing at all to go on. So why bother thinking? Why not just leave it to Gabriel? He'd deal with it, if he did prove to love him as much as he said he did.

Gabriel walked over to him slowly and bent down on the ground, slipping a hand under his chin and tilting his head up. Big amber eyes bore holes into his own.

"We'll figure this out, Dean. It'll be okay. I'll fix this."

The only thing he had needed to hear. Gabriel wouldn't leave him hanging, and Dean had trust in him. He just hoped it would be enough.

"We'll fix this, Sam added, Gabriel's not the only one who misses the real you."

Dean sighed and nodded, continuing to gaze into his archangel's eyes, searching for hope and love. He found both.

**XxXx**

Gabriel certainly didn't take Dean's new look for granted. Apparently, he couldn't get enough of it. And it wasn't just a new look, he started to get hormones and all that other shit that he really shouldn't have to put up with. A day had gone by and already Gabriel was frustrating him, making him feel even more tense and embarrassed. He really needed to change back. He was a girl now and he was close to tears, and he didn't want to give Gabriel the satisfaction of holding him and wiping his tears away. He would be ruined forever.

"Shit Gabriel, lay off me."

Gabriel put his hands up and backed away from his previous position on the bed, where he had been playing with Dean's super long and super annoying hair.

"Just chill, Deanna. It's not like I'm fondling your breasts."

"Will you quit calling me that. And stop bringing attention to the fact that I'm a chick now. I can barely look at them let alone listening to you ramble on about playing with them."

"Stop criticizing them, Dean. They're gorgeous", he grinned.

Dean shot him a death glare and Gabriel only grinned wider.

"Besides, I can't call you Dean when we go out in public", he added.

"You can and you will. And who the hell said anything about going out?"

"I did. Listen, I don't know how long it's gonna take till we get you back to normal. And you can't stay cooped up in here the entire time."

_How long it's gonna take? It's as if Gabriel actually wants me to stay a girl. _

"Can and will."

The archangel crossed his arms, showing him he could be as stubborn as Dean was, maybe even more.

"Not if I have something to say about it."

"That's because you don't get a say, Gabriel."

He uncrossed his arms, "Goddamn it, Dean. I'm not gonna let you waste away in here and get all mopey on me. You're a girl now, and girls need to go out and have some fun. Unless you just want me to get lost and go to the best strip club I know in town."

"Don't you dare", Dean growled.

Gabriel was already halfway to the door, and Dean was halfway off the bed in an attempt to stop his actions, though figuring it wouldn't do much good. The door opened but then the archangel turned around to look back at Dean, whose eyes were pleading and frantic. It caused him to smile and walk back towards the human. He hated that Gabriel was a tricky son of a bitch at times, most of the time.

"Then you'll come with me."

"Not fair", Dean pouted, all too aware that he was acting _and_ looking like a girl.

But he didn't care, he had no control over his new raging hormones. They would most likely prove to be the death of him in the nearby future.

"I know, Gabriel kissed his forehead sweetly, but I'm the guy and I'm calling the shots here."

Dean looked up at him, "You always were the dominant male, why the hell should it matter now?"

"Because this is the only chance I'm gonna get, Dean. You're a girl, which means I'm gonna treat you like one.

_Oh no, that couldn't mean anything good. Just act natural, act cool and you'll be just fine. Gabriel won't be able to see through you, hopefully. _

"As long as you don't open the door for me, we'll be fine."

"Can't promise that, Deano. Or rather, won't."

Dean really _really _wanted to strangle him.

**XxXx**

Dean really shouldn't have been surprised that Gabriel would take him out on a date. He was a girl now, and guys took girls out. And the archangel had said he would take him out. With a sinking feeling, Dean finally got what this meant. Gabriel wanted to spoil him, take him to a fancy restaurant, buy him expensive wine and all that shit. Maybe if he really was a girl, he'd be a little appreciative. But the fact was, he wasn't. Ye was Dean Winchester, not a girl, and so not into chick flick moments. No matter what gender he had so suddenly become.

The only way it wasn't a straight out date was because Sam was there with them. And for once, he was glad he was there. It meant Gabriel wasn't gonna try anything stupid, like kiss him with a million people watching or something. It was more than obvious though, that his brother wasn't happy. Every single second he sat in the chair across from them, he looked like he was ready to burst out of there at any moment. But good ol Sammy, he didn't, for Dean's sake.

It started out bad when his date actually opened the car door for him, embarrassing him beyond belief. And then he wrapped an arm around his waist, which did he mention was now far too skinny and swayed to the side a little too much for his liking. He just couldn't get comfortable in his new form, he felt too stretched out, too awkward. And it wasn't getting any easier the third day. Gabriel couldn't seem to keep his hands off of him, and it wasn't all because Dean was apparently so damn delectable, but more for the fact that numerous guys were watching Dean's every move and he wanted them to know Dean was his. No one else's. He owned him.

He hated it when Gabriel got all possessive on him. He wasn't a toy. He wasn't _Gabriel's _toy.

Dean wanted to push away, get back in his pala and leave, but Gabriel wouldn't allow that. And he just could not allow the possibility of him keeping his promise and going to a strip club. Dean had the inability to see when his archangel was actually joking, and for all he knew, Gabriel would hurt him that way if he didn't back down. He had his suspicions how much his stubbornness pissed Gabriel off, how much of it he probably suppressed. Dean didn't want to push him too much.

So he sucked it up and let his archangel lead him into some fancy French restaurant, Sam following close behind, watching them with slight amusement. Dean had not a doubt in his mind that his little brother looked more like their bodyguard than anything. He was dressed in some flashy suit that Gabriel gave him, and the archangel had also given Dean something as well, something that couldn't look more ridiculous on him. It was a low cut and strikingly short and flashy red dress that featured black sequins at the top and white lace at the bottom, accented with these red high heels he couldn't even walk in. It was beyond girly. And he hated Gabriel for it. He hadn't given him much of a choice either, in fact it was either that dress or nothing.

That was how Gabriel worked, something Dean was still trying to get using to. If that archangel didn't get his way with Dean, there would be hell to pay. And Dean would be the one suffering, the one begging Gabriel for it to stop. He drove him straight into the ground at numerous occasions, and it wasn't like Sam was there to help him. Most of the time he sided with the damn archangel.

He didn't appreciate what Gabriel was trying to do at all. He hated the way he was looking at him, dressing him up like a doll. This wasn't him and his boyfriend didn't seem to care. If anything, he was reveling in Dean's distress. This was all too much to bear.

They took a seat smack dab in the middle of the place, clearly because Gabriel wanted to show off his new girlfriend. Dean spent much of the time looking down at the menu, which he couldn't understand at all, avoiding every single man's gaze in the room. Gabriel ordered for him and Sam ordered some random dish that he could hardly pronounce. Overall, it was looking to be a terrible night. And Gabriel seemed more than oblivious to that fact.

Even their waiter gave him a wink and attempted to flirt. It was all he could do not to burst out of his seat and throw up in the bathroom. Just because he was dating Gabriel didn't mean he was into guys. No freaking way. In fact, the only thing that made it bearable was seeing Gabriel fuming with boiling to the surface rage. Dean found that hilarious, seeing how something so minor could set Gabriel off so quickly. It also scared him though, he wondered exactly what Gabriel was willing to do for him. What wouldn't he do?

The candles were lit on their table, and the rose petals shimmered in the firelight. It was actually beautiful, and Dean found himself looking across the table at Gabriel. His honey eyes glowed in the darkness surrounding them, and he looked so beautiful with the flickering lights accentuating his features. His eyes were transfixed on Dean, and the human became mesmerized. Spellbound.

One major fact suddenly came to smack him in the face: Gabriel was his, Gabriel wanted to be his for the small cost of allowing Dean to be his. The archangel sitting across the table from him and staring at him, loved him, cherished him, wanted to give the world to him. And he was taking that for granted.

He did love Gabriel, it was just hard to show it at times, being Dean Winchester and all. But he did love him.

Even if Dean were into guys he would deny them all. Gabriel was good enough, and he was plenty to handle. And more than anything, Gabriel loved him as much as Dean did.

But that still didn't make this situation okay.

Gabriel looked extremely pleased with himself, but then he finally noticed how uncomfortable his date still was.

"Dean, what's wrong?"

He glared up at him from the menu he had forbidden the waiter to take, ignoring his boyfriend's beauty for the moment, "What's wrong? Gabriel, you take me to some fancy ass restaurant whose food I've never had cause to eat, and you expect me to wear this insane dress and act like I'm your girl? No fucking way."

The archangel struggled to maintain his composure, aware of everyone in there staring at the two of them.

"Dean, he warned, forcing a smile through his teeth, it's for one night. Just deal, okay?"

"Whatever, he gave the menu another look, knowing ignoring Gabriel would piss him off, and stared at the extensive list of cheesecakes.

"If it's any consolation, you look beautiful", Gabriel took Dean's hand and kissed it, causing Dean to blush, _which was way out of his control, do not ask,_ and yank it away.

Sam laughed and Dean hid his face behind the menu again, ignoring the both of them.

"You're one lucky girl, Deanna."

He smacked his brother with the only form of protection he had, "Shut up, Sam."

But he only laughed harder, leading Dean to sigh louder.

"Dean, look at me. I said, look at me."

Gabriel took Dean's face in his hands.

"I can complain to the waiter if you're being abusive, the eldest Winchester told him, I'm sure he'll be more than willing to take me away. I'll make his night, I bet."

He pushed Dean's face away and crossed his arms in frustration. He actually looked about ready to give up and just give in to Dean's demands. Nope, probably not gonna happen knowing Gabriel.

"Unbelievable. I try to do something nice for you, and all you do is shove it back in my face."

He leaned forward, "This isn't me, Gabriel! I'm not a freaking girl!"

"Only that you are", Sam added, and Dean wanted to hit him again for getting into the conversation that he sure as hell didn't belong in.

"I really hate this", Dean growled.

Gabriel leaned forward to take Dean's hand again, "I love you. I wanna treat you right, is that so much to ask?"

As if that justified anything.

"Please Gabriel, just let me go home."

He wanted to sink down into a bed, curl up into his archangel, and just sleep the whole nightmare away. Gabriel didn't have the slightest clue how freaked out he was. And Dean didn't understand why he wouldn't just let him leave, it wasn't like he didn't want Gabriel there. He was the only one that made this whacked out transformation bearable for him.

"To that piece of shit room we share in that motel? No way. You're enjoying yourself tonight, Dean. And so am I, staring at you."

Dean blushed a little again, _damn it!_, and Gabriel laughed, kissing him on the lips, _which was heaven he had to admit_, and then leaning back in his chair to stare at him again. Sam watched them with wide and fascinated eyes, witnessing a rare and beautiful and _oh my god so girly_ moment between his brother and Gabriel. He wasn't gonna spoil it, he'd kick himself for doing that.

The food actually wasn't that bad, and Gabriel had ended up politely asking for a beer for Dean, which they shared together. Luckily, that simple gesture helped to ease a little of the tension between them. Sam was pretty much silent for the remainder of the dinner, and the other two barely noticed him. Dean and Gabriel were lost in each other's eyes, feeding each other occasionally and engaging in mindless chitchat. Sam smiled a little, content his brother wasn't complaining anymore. The two were really adorable together, especially with Dean as a chick.

Gabriel ended up ordering a tiramisu cheesecake for dessert, since there was no pie, and Sam watched with a mouth fully opened in shock as he fed Dean mouthfuls of it. Dean leaned across the table to kiss him slowly, for an unbelievable amount of time, to the point where the other occupant was starting to feel very nervous and had to clear his throat to break that nervousness. They pulled away, still staring at each other, and Gabriel quickly paid the bill, leading the other two outside.

"So, Sam wondered as he settled into the backseat, where are we going next?"

"Well, Gabriel turned around to face him, I'm driving, so it's gonna be a surprise."

Dean rolled his eyes, "Just drive before I push you out of my car."

"The girl doesn't get to drive, Deano. She's too delicate."

"If you say that again, I will punch your lights out."

Sam and Gabriel laughed simultaneously, the former finding it adorable that that came out of his big brother's, big sister's mouth, sounding so girly, and the latter wanting to lean over and attack him with kisses.

But he didn't, he started up Dean's baby and settled back in the driver's seat, taking off to their next secret destination.

**XxXx**

He wanted to take Dean to see something beautiful. He had been wanting to for a while, and he didn't know why, but the urge hit him like a block of cement now that he was a girl. Maybe because girls should be made over, spoiled, and Dean just didn't know how truly beautiful he looked. Gabriel wanted to make Dean feel special, in every way possible.

That was why he took him to see the sun set.

They drove up high in the mountains, as high as they could go to get the best view. Dean was growing more impatient by the second, but Gabriel didn't care, if it took him hours to get Dean to see this he would do it.

They got there barely in time, as the first rays of gold illuminated the darkening sky, and Gabriel took Dean's hand as they crawled onto the roof of the Impala, the former's arm wrapping around his human and pulling him close, warming him as the wind brought a strong chill straight to them. Sam pulled out a few beers from the back and joined them, taking a sip and lying down on his back to gaze up at the sky's transformation. It was beautiful, especially as high up as they were, where they could breathe the strong fresh air and wallow away in their own thoughts. They were completely alone up there, and it felt nice, like the world's burdens weren't placed on their shoulders for that night alone.

It took a while for his brother to get comfortable, shifting around and pulling down his dress constantly, pushing his hair back as it got in his way, which was always.

"I'm cold, Gabriel. Why the hell are we up here anyway?"

Gabriel pulled him closer and kissed his cheek, knowing not to take Dean's complaints too seriously. He knew his hunter loved this, stargazing and watching the proof of a day come to a close and the next begin. What Dean really meant was, I'm cold but thanks for this. So Gabriel tuned out the rest of the bullshit and focused on that.

He shrugged his suit jacket off and wrapped it around his lover's shaking shoulders, tipping the beer into his mouth to warm him, "Just suck it up and enjoy the night, Dean."

His human smiled a little and that gave Gabriel the proof that he was doing the right thing. Even though it was pretty stupid to have Dean out here at this time of night, in a low cut dress with no sleeves to properly keep him warm. Oh well, he'd just have to hope his arms would be enough.

He made a move to pull Dean into his arms, and he relented, scooting further away from Sam to better position himself against Gabriel's front, his warmth seeping through his shirt and warming Dean up sufficiently. The archangel grinned as he placed his head on top of Dean's, engulfing him tightly in his arms and winking over at Sam, who shook his head in amazement and stared at the dark purple the sky had now become.

"You guys even start investigating or anything?" Dean mumbled, exhaustion taking him fast because of a lack of sufficient sleep the last few days.

Neither of the two said no, not wanting to piss Dean off when he looked so content against Gabriel, ready to fall into the sleep he needed.

"I'm gonna say no then."

"Dean…" Gabriel started.

"Don't, just don't worry about it and let me sleep."

The archangel kissed his forehead and stroked lightly down his arms and legs, brushing his hair back and breathing in the scent of it, the strawberry shampoo Gabriel had bought for him and forced him to use. He suddenly felt really guilty. He had been planning all these things to do with Dean the last few days, as if now that he was a girl everything just abruptly changed. He completely forgot about the fact that Dean wanted to change back, that that was all he was able to think about.

And Gabriel kinda wanted him back too. More for the fact so Dean could be happy again than anything else.

"I promise I'll do something, Dean", but his human was already asleep.

**XxXx**

**~My girlfriend's girlfriend**

**She looks like you**

**My girlfriend's girlfriend**

**She's my girl too~**

**XxXx**

**To be continued…**


	2. A Swell of Urgency

**A Taste of Strawberries **

**Chapter 2: A Swell of Urgency **

**Song Featured: **Lyrics in this chapter are from Type O Negative's "Wolf Moon".

**A/N: **Welcome to my second chapter, thanks for reading it all so far. As said before it was never going to be this long, but they're so beautiful together aren't they? :D Well enough of me talking and on we go… Enjoy it!

**XxXx**

**~Don't spill a drop dear**

**Let me kiss the curse away**

**Yourself in my mouth**

**Will you leave me with your taste?~**

**XxXx**

If Dean found out Gabriel was carrying him into their motel, Sam had no doubt he would never live it down. But he didn't have the heart to wake him, and Gabriel would strangle him anyway if he did. It was a miracle Dean hadn't woken up yet, from being carried off the hood, lain down in the backseat of his beloved car, and now about to be dropped into bed, and yet he slept through it all, leading Sam to believe whether it was merely natural or caused by the archangel himself.

He quickly opened the door and just barely avoided smacking against Dean's head as he followed them.

Gabriel laid his brother down so gently, pulling the covers up over him and tucking them around him so lovingly, that Sam was just happy to watch it all and smile. He noticed pretty quickly though that the archangel wanted some time alone with him, which wasn't a huge problem considering how much his body was aching for a nice hot shower.

"You need anything, Gabe?"

"No Sam, thanks."

Sam nodded and hesitated a moment longer, staring down at Dean, "Well, you know where I'll be."

He walked away and could somehow feel Gabriel's eyes on his back, a gaze of appreciation and fondness. Yeah, even with the Dean being a girl problem, life was good. He was finally starting to get along with Dean's new boyfriend.

Gabriel watched him until he was out of sight and then turned back to Dean, fast asleep, his dirty brown locks shining a little in the moonlight. He smiled a little and crawled into bed with him, wrapping his arms around his thin form.

He was wrong. He didn't like Dean like this, not anymore. He missed him, the real him, the guy him. He missed his spiky hair, short enough to affectionately ruffle whenever Dean did something cute. He missed his voice, deep and sexy and so much of a turn on it left Gabriel hard for minutes on end. Dean was beautiful just as he was, and he was stupid and felt guilty to realize he had treated him the last few days like he was better as a girl. He shouldn't have given Dean that impression. He was all to blame.

"I miss you, Dean."

He wanted to hold his body against his own once more, wanted to cuddle and breathe in the scent of his hair all over again, but all he could think about was regrets, Dean's unhappiness, the uncomfortable situations he had put him in.

"Sorry, he whispered, guess I'm too blind to see when I'm hurting you. But don't worry, he slowly got out of bed, not wanting to rouse his hunter, it won't happen again."

He left the room and set off to find the truth before he could harm Dean any more than he already had. This was his punishment, he wouldn't come back until Dean was better again. No matter how much he ached for him.

**XxXx**

"Gabe?"

Sam looked up from his laptop, where he was researching who could have done this to Dean, "He wasn't here when I woke up."

"Where is he?" Dean got up and stretched, trying and failing to stifle a groan as the disappointment hit him when he looked around to confirm Sam's statement.

"Dean, you deaf? I just said I don't know. It's not as if he woke me up to tell me where's he's snuck off to."

His brother yawned and Sam closed his computer when Dean started walking closer. He'd started web surfing the first night, figuring Gabriel probably didn't know about it even though he knew the archangel hadn't done a damn thing yet to help his brother. He figured that's probably where he was now, trying to find whoever had done this to him. He did seem really quiet last night, like something was eating him up inside.

It had started to bug Sam more and more too, he admitted he hadn't done much the first night. Then he started noticing how depressed Dean really was, and tried a little harder, popping open his computer every second he could get. It wasn't easy though, he didn't want Dean to know he was helping him, after he'd promised to let Gabriel fix him. Sam hadn't had much time because Dean was always sulking, never too far off and hanging around Sam like a puppy when he wasn't with Gabriel. Eventually, he had just given up, figuring the answer would either come to him, or that Dean would eventually settle down and take a chill pill.

He felt bad for him, he really did, but Dean was driving him crazy. He needed to calm down and be patient. It wasn't like his life was going to end because he was a chick, and yet he acted like he was dying. He refused to go out and spent as little time as possible in the bathroom, apparently being unable to see his own reflection. Sam had to admit, it was really funny, but soon the urge to have his brother back, not sister, outweighed that humor.

"What the hell happened last night?"

"You fell asleep and didn't wake up."

Sam really wanted to get back to researching, he felt he was somewhat close to finding a lead, and who knew how long Gabriel would take.

"Yeah, but how'd I get here?"

_Oh shit. _

"You don't wanna know man", and he just left it at that, wanting to save Dean the embarrassment of being carried by his boyfriend.

Even though he wanted to rub it in his face of how adorable it was.

Dean shook it off, surprisingly not pressing the matter, "So, what's up with you?"

Sam shrugged, "Nothing much. I don't know what you want me to say, man. You've been watching me like a hawk the last few days."

Dean scowled, "So now I'm supposed to feel guilty for looking after you, Sammy?"

He shook his head and sighed, "Just forget about it. Now I know how really lost you are without your archangel."

"You're just jealous, bitch."

"Jerk."

Dean was outside before he could say anymore.

He took a walk, thinking it would clear his head and maybe get him a little more used to being a chick. He hated it, and he hated that Gabriel wasn't seeming to do anything about it.

"Gabriel!"

And of course, there would be no answer. If Gabriel had left in the middle of the night like that, it meant he was doing something important and most likely wouldn't come back for a while. It meant he was too busy to answer Dean. And as much as he wanted to hear from him, Dean was starting to feel hopeful. Chances were, Gabriel was trying to find a way to turn him back, which meant the hormones which were constantly ruining his life would be soon coming to an end.

He just wished he could hear his voice… something to make him feel not so alone.

"I know you're busy but I hate it when I don't wake up next to you."

He would have thought Gabriel would have answered that time, but there was still no response and he decided not to try again. After all, he was busy helping him and should probably show his appreciation by being a little more patient.

"Never mind then."

He could hear the archangel saying I love you in his head, and that made him feel a little better. He just wish he had been awake last night, to at least say goodbye or something.

Dean walked for a while, figuring Sam needed a break from his sister and not wanting to go back anyway, not if Gabriel wasn't there when he got back. So he figured what the hell, and picked up a couple coffees and some doughnuts before heading back. The rainbow sprinkles didn't make him feel better, neither did the clerk who gave him his number, it only made him longing more for Gabe. He hated how lost he felt without him.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Got some breakfast."

Sam walked over to riffle through the bag, pulling out a chocolate glazed and chowing down on it.

"Geez Sammy, don't say thanks or anything."

"Thanks", he could barely say with his mouth full of doughnut, as Dean slipped off his coat.

"I'm guessing Gabriel didn't drop by while I was gone."

Sam shook his head a little apologetically, "Sorry Dean. I'm sure he's fine though, probably just trying to figure out what happened to you."

"I wish he were back already."

Sam stared at him as he walked around the bedroom slowly, straightening the sheets on the bed and staring out the window every once in a while. He was starting to get really worried about him, and he wanted to call for Gabriel but also at the same time wanted Dean to be Dean again.

"Dean…"

"What?"

He sighed and stared back down at his notes, which were few and he hated to say it, complete bullshit, "Nothing."

"No seriously, Sam. What?"

"Just sit down and relax or something, you're making me tense."

Dean sighed loudly and sank down on the bed.

"You know you're not going to die if you fix your hair in the mirror."

His brother glared over at him, "Don't you have anything better to do than to pick on me, Sam?"

"I'm just saying, give Gabriel some time. I'm sure he'll be back soon."

"Yeah whatever", he locked himself in the bathroom for the next hour, leaving Sam with nothing better to do than to find a way to get Dean back to normal. Or to be straight out, to fix him.

**XxXx**

He was crying that night and he couldn't stop, really _really_ wanted to stop but he wasn't able to. And this time, he could luckily blame it on his ever present hormones, which had been creeping up on him the last few days and now molding him into a little teary pulp all cuddled up on the carpet. Everything was just hitting him so fast, the transformation, the doubts of ever being himself again, and underneath all that, the real reason why he was becoming a total chick and would never be able to live it down, he missed Gabe. He never truly realized before how dependent he was on him, but that was the truth.

He hated waking up alone, hated not seeing him for a full day. Twenty-four hours was pure hell without him to chase the tears, emotions, and nightmares away. He couldn't sleep, he'd been trying for hours and it just wasn't coming. And he was sick, so sick of all this bullshit. He started to realize who meant the most to him.

Damn being a girl, it sucked but he'd rather have Gabriel back then worry about that right now. It was all that mattered, he was all that mattered. And he had driven him away. All because he had breasts and small hips and long hair. Sometimes he wondered if he even deserved to have Gabriel.

He was still on the floor after fifteen minutes, trying to be quiet for Sam's sake but he could not just suppress it anymore. He felt like shit and he wouldn't hide it.

Sam's whispered voice drifted in from the other room, and Dean silently wondered if he was on the phone, with Bobby or someone. Clearly it was over him, since he could hear his name a few times, but the talking didn't last for too long and eventually Sam was knocking on his door.

"Dean, you okay in there?"

He swallowed hard, "Fine Sammy."

"You need anything?"

"No, M' good."

"You sure?"

"Yeah Sam, just go back to bed."

He didn't hear anything for a few minutes, except his sniffling, and then finally the muffled sound of footsteps walking away.

He wanted to curl up in a hole and die. And it hurt to know that if Gabriel was here he would be fine. He guessed he wouldn't be coming though.

**XxXx**

Sam couldn't sleep, so he spent most of the night getting back his lost hours of research. He'd be damned if he let Gabriel go it alone, he would have gone with him if he had asked, and since he hadn't he sure as hell wasn't gonna sit there on his ass and let Dean suffer. He was getting really annoyed though, not being able to find anything but a few stray pieces of information, nothing strong enough to go on and nothing in the slightest bit relatable to their last hunt.

His pen clicked on and off as he scanned over and occasionally printed useless pages, and then when he finally made the decision to head in for the night, he heard muffled sobs coming from the room next to his own. He walked out towards the living room and listened, even though he already knew who it was. It sounded like Dean, well, the girl version of him anyway. And to tell you the truth, Sam wasn't surprised. His brother's nerves had been fraying for the last few days, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that someday he would break.

He'd just prayed it wouldn't be before Gabriel got back. Better kiss that one goodbye.

Sam was gonna go in there first, but then he had this strange feeling that Gabriel was maybe listening. And if he was too busy to pay attention to Dean, which wasn't likely, then maybe he should let him know.

"Gabriel?" His whisper rang out uncomfortably in the still night.

He didn't think he could feel any more awkward, but he pushed himself on nonetheless.

"I don't know if you can hear me, probably not. Dean says all the time you're just tuned into him. But anyway, I know you're busy and all, and I hope the search is going good, but I wouldn't call you if I wasn't worried. Dean… _mmm, how should I put this?_… Dean's all depressed and crying and… _please Gabriel, just get the fuck down here, don't make me beg..._and I don't know what to do. He really needs you, I think more than anything else right now. So just please, stop what you're doing and help him. I'm asking you…_deep deep deep sigh…_I'm begging you, please."

He waited for a few seconds and then got so disgusted at the fact that nothing was happening. He calmed himself down a little by knocking on his brother's door. Even after talking to him, hearing his voice, which calmed him down even more, he still wanted to go in there, break the door down if need be, just to let him know his brother was there.

Dean needed Gabriel though, not his brother. And as much as that hurt, he crept back to bed anyway, figuring he'd do something with Dean tomorrow. They still had time left.

Right?

**XxXx**

Dean didn't know how he ended up in bed, he fell asleep sometime in the a.m. sprawled out on the carpet, the crying and worrying wearing him out. The fact that Gabriel should have been back by then, with something, _anything_, made the panic hit him full force. And he couldn't stop thinking that this was entirely his fault.

He switched sides and ended up bumping into someone's chest, someone warm and familiar. And this person wasn't Sammy.

His eyes flew open and landed on him, the love of his life staring down at him like he was the most precious thing in the world. His arm was wrapped around him and he held him close, until a look of urgency swept across his features.

"I have to go", his arm untangled itself from Dean and he looked serious.

Dean panicked. He really fucking panicked.

"No wait…"

He grabbed Gabriel's arm and his head turned around again to stare deeply into his human's eyes. Dean gasped, noticing Gabriel's eyes were dimmed, no longer flickered with specks of gold he would sometimes see, just a pale gold and a bit of gray at the edges. He shuddered, noticing that he looked haggard and on the verge of collapse.

"What's happening? Gabriel, what's going on with you?"

He was starting to get really worried now, and he clutched onto Gabriel like a lifeline, as if believing he'd slip away and drown alone somewhere if he even let go a fraction of an inch. He didn't know what to do, he wasn't an angel, he didn't understand these sort of things. And Gabriel's condition was stressing him out greatly.

"My grace, it's wearing dry. It's not accustomed to all this searching, all this traveling."

"Traveling?"

"To the ends of the earth, I can't seem to find anything. Dean, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I never said I wanted you to leave, and you shouldn't have. You should have talked to me first."

He stroked Dean's cheek, "But I love you."

"I love you too, but it doesn't mean I'm gonna let you nearly kill yourself because of me, Gabriel. You should know better."

Gabriel sighed and pinched between his eyes, brushing a hand tiredly through his hair.

Dean started to pull him closer, "Lie down."

"Dean, he warned, I don't have time for this."

Time was ticking out. If Dean didn't revert back to his natural gender soon, he may never be able to go back. If he didn't find the source right now, he doubted he'd even get the chance again.

But Dean was pushy and he gave in easily, knowing his human wanted him there and suddenly feeling very tired, unable to do more at the moment.

"You've gotta stop this, Gabe. I worry about you."

A flicker of a smile spread across his features, "Know you do, just not as much as I worry about you."

They laid there for a while, until Gabriel finally gathered up the strength to fight for Dean again. It didn't matter that he heard Dean screaming his name, becoming more and more muffled as he slipped further and further away from him. This was more important than his human's worries at the moment.

Dean's happiness and Dean's masculinity was top priority.

**XxXx**

He dashed out of bed and pulled the door open, running out into the living room. He had already panicked enough yesterday, and now he had to do it all over again. He honestly didn't think he could handle it anymore, Gabriel was killing him. Dean was glad he got to see him once, but it wasn't nearly enough, considering he had been asleep for most of that time.

He forced his hands to stay down so he wouldn't pull his hair out, which wouldn't have been a problem if he was really him, with his short hair. He had wanted to rip this new hair out every single day he had had it, but that wasn't the point. Now he wanted to keep his hair relatively intact, but if he didn't find Gabriel again soon, he doubted his head would be anything but bald.

"Sam!"

His brother's groggy voice came from the other bedroom, "What?"

"Gabriel! He's gone!"

"When did he come back?"

"Last night I guess! Come on, we gotta go!"

He didn't know where he was going, he just knew he had to do something. He grabbed his jacket and really wanted Sam to hurry the hell up.

"Go where?"

"Doesn't matter! Come on, get your ass out of bed!"

He burst into the bedroom to find Sam spread-eagle on the double bed, laying down on his stomach and looking up at him like even the idea of getting up was the thought of a madman. Dean yanked the covers off of him and he groaned.

"Dean, what the hell is going on? Why are you getting me up at… _find the clock, find the clock, aha…_ 7 a.m. I need a break here, dude."

"Goddammit Sammy, just get up."

"Alright alright", he pushed himself out of bed and slowly, very slowly, pulled on a pair of jeans he had thrown over a chair, noticing his brother was watching him while in the process of zipping them up.

"Dude, are you checking me out?"

"What? No!"

"Don't apologize, man. You are a girl now", Sam pointed out.

"Sam, can we not talk about this right now. Let's go."

He was already out the door before Sam could say another word. And as soon as Sam pulled on a relatively clean shirt, he was out the door and running after him.

"Dean, tell me the truth. What's going on?"

"Gabriel's in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

His brother slid into the driver's seat and started up the Impala, barely allowing Sam to get inside before he took off.

"What kind of trouble?" He repeated after Dean failed to answer.

"Don't know, but I felt something when I woke up."

"Felt what?"

He waited for innumerable seconds.

"Dean, I can't help you if you don't let me in."

His brother sighed and swiped a hand through his curly locks, "He sounded like he was gonna do something stupid. And he said he didn't find anything, but I don't believe him."

"Why, do you think Gabriel's capable of lying to you?"

"Dude, we're talking about Gabriel here."

"Yeah, I know. But do you think he would lie to _you_,Dean?"

His brother shook his head, knowing Gabriel wouldn't dare do such a thing. Unless it was for his own good. Unless it was to protect him. But he left that for Sam to figure out, and he was more than proud of him seconds later.

"You think he didn't tell you what he found because he didn't want you to get into it?"

Dean nodded, looking over at Sammy for some guidance, some sentence that he was doing the right thing by going after Gabriel, making sure he didn't get in any danger himself.

"Do you have any idea where he went?"

The eldest of the two shook his head, "No. But sometimes I can sense him, when he's stressed or really angry or in pain."

Sam nodded, looking out the window.

"You gonna say anything, Sam?"

"What's there to say? You seem to know what you're doing."

Hours and hours of silence later. Well, not really, but it seemed that long to Dean before Sam spoke again, saying the words that made the fight seem all the more worthwhile. Sam had that kind of effect on him, always had.

"You're doing the right thing, Dean."

Dean smiled and kept on driving, hoping he would sense Gabriel sooner rather than later.

**XxXx**

He came across the warehouse, the one he had been both anticipating and dreading to step inside since he had found the source of Dean's transformation little more than a day ago. He wouldn't allow himself to take a deep breath and prepare, he'd chicken out if he did that. There was no lying that he was scared, terrified even, he had no idea what he was going up against, no idea how sinister this thing was.

Yes, he was an archangel. And yes, that meant he was stronger than nearly everyone else out there. Though he felt something powerful lurk inside this place, and he doubted whether he had the strength and the will to deal with it.

He had to do this quick though, Dean was bound to follow him. That of course was obvious, considering how well he knew his hunter. He was probably pissed off right at that moment, had sensed his lies and deceptions. That was why he had to come here straight away, he had wasted enough time already, what with going to Dean last night.

He couldn't resist though, and he didn't regret it in the slightest. Dean was in pain and no matter what he was going through at the moment, he wouldn't leave him like that. Sam had warned him on how desperate the situation really was, and he wanted to thank him for that. But he had slipped, never planning on Dean to know he was there.

Even though it had been so beautiful to see his eyes open.

Gabriel walked inside, carrying his best weapon, the sword that could be used to kill him. Yeah, go ahead and call him an idiot. But it would be his best shot, because he had no idea who this creature was, what it was capable of. He had no idea if his sword would even do the trick.

"Come out and show yourself!"

The warehouse was dark and damp and literally the stuff of nightmares, and like always he thought of Dean being in here. He thought about Dean being in terrible situations like this a lot, stressing himself out over it and trying to see what measures he could take to avoid it. Because if Dean was ever taken into a place like this, he would die with guilt and sadness and the list went on and on and on.

"Gabriel Gabriel Gabriel."

A taunt, a familiar taunt, by someone who spoke his language, someone who…

"Barachiel."

"That's right. I'm surprised you remember me, it's been so long."

His voice was a hiss, and if Gabriel didn't know better he would have said it belonged to an oversized snake. He was close now, so close, even though he couldn't see him he could nearly feel his venomous breath on his neck. He wanted Dean right now, wanted to kiss him again and curl up in his warmth. He didn't want to be here at all, but he had to be.

Gabriel fought hard to keep his cool, "Not long enough you mean. What the hell do you want?"

"You Gabriel. I want you. Or your human. He's certainly delectable, no matter what form he's in."

Gabriel's eyes lit up in rage, but there was more to it than that. There was fear, and that was the worst thing of all. Because this meant Dean was in the line of fire, Dean was the one at stake here.

He nearly collapsed in panic.

**XxXx**

**~So in the gray haze**

**We'll be meeting again, yet again**

**And on that great day**

**I will tease you all the same~**

**XxXx**

**To be continued…**


	3. A Threat From the Past

**A Taste of Strawberries **

**Chapter 3: A Threat From the Past**

**Song Featured: **Lyrics in this chapter are from Type O Negative's "Cinnamon Girl".

**A/N:** This will be the last chapter unfortunately. The second was going to be my last, but I have an obsession with cliffhangers and really wanted to do a third chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoy how it all ends.

**XxXx**

**~A dreamer of pictures I run in the night**

**You see us together, chasing the moonlight**

**My cinnamon girl~**

**XxXx**

Gabriel heard what sounded like the strike of a match, fire erupting directly after the sound, hovering in the air, a flicker that grew and threatened to take over all darkness. Gabriel closed his eyes momentarily, the light blinding him, and when he opened them again he saw the same sight he had seen centuries ago. Not a thing about him had changed.

His past with Barachiel had been confusing and painful. It had been so long ago but yet he felt like it was only days. He could remember them being friends, when they were younger, until rumors spread and Barachiel openly attacked him, tearing out some of his feathers and he blew up in rage and attacked the archangel himself.

They had started to plot against one another, and Gabriel was the one more often than not who fought to get away. Barachiel was stronger than him, and he had something that Gabriel never had, the will to fight him. Gabriel loved a good fight but there was a part of him that never wanted to hurt the other archangel, a large part of him that didn't understand what even caused them to hate each other so much in the first place.

When he became incognito he lost him, and he allowed himself to think that maybe Barachiel was finally leaving him alone, after centuries of torment and fighting and insults. Why did he have to keep on coming back? What was so interesting about Gabriel that begged his attention? And why drag Dean into all of this?

"How did you find me?"

"Don't ask questions you already know the answers to. You know perfectly well I can find you in a heartbeat."

_He always was too smart for his own good. _

"Then why wait this long? Why even bother, why not move on?"

"I always wanted to see what you'd make out of your life, Gabriel. And seeing you fall for such an important human in our world was more delicious than I had ever anticipated to watch."

"You son of a bitch. You leave Dean out of this."

"He's already into this. And my, how he hates being turned into a female."

Gabriel growled low in his throat, his need to see Dean growing quickly and consuming him. Why must terrible situation after terrible situation follow him and Dean around constantly? Barachiel shouldn't be here right now, and Gabriel should be lying in bed with Dean right now, making love to him.

It was fucked up how much his life really sucked. And he hated that his past, in one way or another, always got entangled with his love and struggling to maintain relationship with Dean.

He was Gabriel though, an archangel and a trickster. Giving up wasn't in his book.

"You always wondered why no one liked you, Barachiel. And you never got the hint, no matter how much we would all drop it."

"Then dear Gabriel, by all means… Tell me."

He wasn't stupid, he knew Barachiel was taunting him, trying to push him over the edge. But he wouldn't fall, not without a fight anyway. And if he did happen to plunge back into horrors of his past, he sure as hell was gonna make sure Barachiel fell with him.

"You think you're so invincible don't you? Strutting around, acting like a prince, claiming every human you lay eyes upon and thinking you can own them. My Dean is off limits, Barachiel. And so am I. You're a dick, in the truest sense of the word."

He was proud, to quote Dean, to stand up and fight for him. He wished he was here with him right now, but then again, not really.

"I would watch what you say, Gabriel."

"Or what? You'll make me your slave? Go ahead and try, Barachiel. I know how much you've wanted me all these years, all the days and nights you wanted to…"

Barachiel, being Barachiel, couldn't help himself from interrupting. It was what he did best, other than being a total douchebag.

"What about your human? What does he taste like? Is he sweet as candy or bitter as bullshit, or is it both? What makes you so drawn to him?"

Barachiel had come dangerously close, his face nearly brushing Gabriel's. He laughed at the fury he could read so easily on him, he drank in Gabriel's fear and relished the taste of it on his tongue. And Gabriel grew sicker than he ever thought possible. He clenched his fists and forced the words through his mouth.

"If you touch him, if you hurt him…"

"What? What will you do? You're not exactly in a position to be making threats here, Gabriel. You know what I live for, he grinned and Gabriel wanted to throw up, details. Details details details. What's the sex like? Is it everything you've hoped for or is your poor poor human such a disappointment? Especially since I've done this unfortunate thing to him.

"Why would you care?"

"I've been away, for so long, from humans, their flaws and their filth. And now that I'm back, he slipped a finger under Gabriel's chin and he pulled away in disgust, I want to know what's been going on with you. Who you've fallen in love with this time. And surprisingly, I'm having fun just watching, and playing a little, he added.

He was away because he had been banned, banned because he had once lured humans to him and ate them slowly, limb by limb and one piece of skin at a time. Gabriel had seen it done, and it had been agonizing to watch.

This was why he was so scared, the possibility of losing Dean to this monster was too much to bear. Barachiel wouldn't stop until he had what he came for, and he always got what he came for, no matter how many years, how many centuries it took. And he was stronger, so much stronger than Gabriel could ever hope to be.

"What do you want?"

"You. I've already told you that."

Gabriel laughed as well as he could in a situation like this, "You honestly believe, after watching us for all this time you say you have, that Dean will let you take me away from him?"

"He will, if he wants to survive."

"Dean cares little about survival."

"If he knows of your love for him, he will fight for his life. And for the life of his brother."

"Barachiel, don't do this. Go find other toys to play with. Please, leave Dean alone."

"I won't harm a hair on his precious head, as long as you make this easy. You will come with me and you will face punishment for your actions."

_Wait a minute. What? Doesn't Barachiel want me for pleasure?_

"What are you talking about?"

"Dean is not yours, Gabriel. He doesn't belong to you."

_I knew I should have marked him. How could I have been so stupid?_

"Yes he is. Love transcends all boundaries."

"Not in my world. Ownership does. He already belonged to another angel, before you so selfishly took him away."

"Yes, Gabriel tried, but I didn't do it against Dean's will."

"Doesn't matter, you'll pay for your sins. You will come with me and he will go back to Castiel. And all will be well once more."

_Why the hell is this happening to me? I can't let this happen. I have to do something. I will never give Dean to Castiel, he doesn't want him, he doesn't treat Dean like he should be treated. _

"Don't try anything, Gabriel. Wouldn't want you damaging your pretty vessel."

"You bastard, I should have known it was you. That you would have done something like this. You'll never get away with it though, you can't rip me and Dean away from each other. Because we have love, and that's something you can never understand."

Barachiel just looked at the babbling archangel, feeling he could not be more pleased in any other situation. After he tortured Gabriel for a few lifetimes, he would take him into his arms and claim him as his own, force him if need be. And all the while, he would be watching the infamous and destroyed Dean Winchester, haunted by his archangel's beloved memory and letting the torture of it soon overcome him.

And the best part of it? Gabriel wouldn't have a chance to save him. This was all within his reach, he could and would make this happen within seconds.

"Cry all you want, Gabriel. But it's going to happen. Just wait and see."

"Please, he begged, trying desperately to make it sound real, just let me see him one last time. To say goodbye."

Barachiel smiled, "Of course. One last wish to the damned archangel, I am sure I can afford."

Barachiel was an idiot if he thought Gabriel was going to give in that easily. And Gabriel hoped he had that small advantage.

"His love for you is quite sweet. I wonder if he will…"

Dean burst through the door with his brother, screaming his name as Barachiel turned to look at just who had interrupted him. Everything happened so fast.

And before Gabriel could smile, before he could panic, all hell broke loose.

**XxXx**

The drive was agonizingly slow. They should have been there by now, and yet Dean was driving as fast as he possibly could. Gabriel was nearly within his reach, and the first thing he wanted to do, after saving him of course, was wrap his arms around him and give him a hug that would suffocate him, a kiss that would do more than take his breath away. He wanted him so bad the mere thought of him gave him a splitting headache.

"Won't Gabriel know you're after him?"

Dean turned to look over at Sam, who was looking at a map after Dean described some images he had seen of where Gabriel just might be. He had a feeling he knew of the place Dean was talking about, now he just had to find it. Looking at a map might just help to jog his memory.

"Yeah, but we can't worry about that right now. I can't just sit on my ass and wait for him to come back, he should know that."

"I think he does, man. He just doesn't know what else to do. He loves you too much to willingly put you in danger."

Sam was right, and he really did love and appreciate Gabriel doing really stupid things in order to protect him, but more often than not it was too much. It made him feel depressed and guilty and he wanted to scream at Gabriel, tell him he couldn't handle as much as he apparently thought he could. He was frustrated too, because the archangel was always the one saving him, and part of loving Gabriel was being able to save him sometimes too. He was a human and he was technically weak, well, compared to the archangel he was.

He wanted to fight for Gabriel, prove he was strong enough to protect him.

"I won't let him do this, Sam. I feel bad enough for even getting him into this."

Sam looked over at Dean, "It's not your fault."

"And what if it is, he couldn't even manage to look over at Sammy, what if he's in trouble because of me?"

Gabriel _was _in trouble because of him, because of his stupid inability to tolerate being a chick. This whole experience made him realize what was important in his life, and that vital element was Gabriel. He'd deal with having boobs and hormones and everything else as long as his archangel was beside him, proving that he loved him every single miserable second of being a female. He hated himself for not realizing that sooner.

He wished more than anything that he could say sorry.

Sam wanted to tell him everything would be fine, primarily that Gabriel would be fine. He couldn't force the words through his teeth though, he was just as concerned as Dean was. He'd grown attached to Gabriel too, he wanted him around. Gabriel brought out a side of his brother that he really enjoyed seeing. And if anything happened, Dean wouldn't be the only one blaming himself.

He looked back down at the map, more determined than ever, "We'll find him and we'll change you back. No matter what it takes."

The youngest Winchester just hoped it wasn't gonna take what he thought it was gonna take.

**XxXx**

Dean had a deathlike grip on some blade in his hand that remarkably resembled his own. Wait a minute. It was his own blade. How the hell did he even get it?

But it didn't matter, as soon as Dean had spotted Gabriel and the other archangel standing beside him, he sprinted towards them and lunged. Gabriel, barely realizing what was even going on, quickly stepped off to the side as Dean finally came within inches of him, already swinging the blade.

Before he was able to cut off Barachiel's head, he was thrown away from Gabriel, as he reached for him frantically, managing only to brush his fingers before he was ripped away completely. The sword flew halfway across the warehouse, far out of reach for any of them. He screamed his name as Dean's body painfully slammed against a wall, his long hair hanging in front of his face before he dropped to the ground.

He saw Sam rush towards them next, but it was all a blur of sound and pale colors in the ever thickening darkness, as Barachiel's attention was now focused on the two Winchester boys and not the flame. Gabriel couldn't find himself able to pay attention, or to even attempt to aid Sam as his gaze froze on Dean, his beloved Dean, sprawled out and unconscious on the cold concrete floor. He wanted to run to him, hold his skinny body in his arms and cry his eyes out.

But something still needed to be taken care of. Someone.

The only way to protect his Dean was to end this, and he realized in that moment that he was needed now more than ever, considering Sam didn't look like he was about to get far.

Before Sam could reach the treacherous archangel he stepped between the two of them, slamming his fist into Barachiel's stomach and looking up into his face with the onset of satisfaction, to see what damage he had truly done.

His eyes widened and he lost all hope as Barachiel grinned down at him, grabbing his throat and slamming his own hand into his belly, simultaneously throwing him into the ground. He couldn't even see what happened to Sam before he blacked out completely.

**XxXx**

His eyes opened slowly and it took longer than he liked for his sight to come back, before he noticed the archangel, the evil archangel advance on his little brother. And there was no way in hell that he was gonna let that slide.

A surge of adrenaline and fury rushed through him instantly, propelling his hurting body up from the ground and sending him flying through the warehouse, quickly filling the what seemed to be immense space between him and Sam.

That was when he noticed Gabriel, lying there on the ground, looking like he was dead and he wanted to drop down and cry right then and there.

But it was time to fight. To prove that no force in the world could hurt his Gabriel and get away with it. He would end this son of a bitch in the blink of an eye. And if need be, he would avenge Gabriel's death.

He had no time to even check if Gabriel was actually dead, but the added rage and the uncertainty and the rush of such extreme love made him run faster, made him ignore his throbbing limbs and waste no time in coming up with a decent plan. No time for that.

He picked up the blade and advanced upon the archangel's back, hopefully a lucky advantage. And just as his filthy hands closed upon Sam's throat, he plunged the sword into his back and twisted it as hard as he could.

There was light, blinding white light that caused him to close his eyes tightly. He was lost in nothingness for innumerable seconds, feeling something numbing surround him. His last thought was of Gabriel and of the possibility of dying. But it didn't really matter because at least he would be with Gabriel.

"Dean!"

His eyes snapped open to see the light gone, and they fell upon the face of his baby brother, perfectly fine, unscathed and staring at him in shock. He thought he must be fine too, or at least alive. He couldn't quite feel the pain again yet.

"Are you okay?"

Dean nodded, trying to get his breath _and_ mind back. He followed Sam's gaze downward, where he saw the very much dead body of the archangel. He looked back up at Sam and mirrored his smile a little.

Then he remembered.

"Gabriel!"

He scooped his archangel up from the ground, looking down at him, finally allowing the time for his tears to fall. Gabriel looked so small and vulnerable, and he hated it so much. Wanted to scream at him to come back from the dead and wake up so he could tell him just how much he loved him.

His warm lips kissed Gabriel's cold ones one last time as he began to sob uncontrollably, but not before…

A loud gasp, and suddenly there was movement beneath him, air being sucked from his mouth constantly and Dean pulled his mouth out of Gabriel's to cough and gasp himself.

"Gabriel?"

The archangel pushed up into him frantically and they hugged passionately, Dean keeping a tight hold on him and whispering over and over how much he loved him. Gabriel was still trying to get back to himself, focusing on breathing and trying to remember what had happened.

The only thing he could register was, Dean's okay, he's alive. Dean's okay.

He placed a hand on the back of Dean's neck and pulled his head away to kiss him, could feel his human grab onto him tighter and he chuckled despite still being in Dean's mouth.

It was Sam who was the first to notice it. He had been busy examining Barachiel's body and then the blade he now carried in his hands, and then his eyes flew to the two most important people in his world, embracing and doing all that girly stuff they always did.

Except this time, Dean looked different. This time he looked like his brother.

"Uh Dean? Hate to break up your moment with Gabriel but… I think you'll be glad to hear you're back to normal."

Dean pulled away from Gabriel abruptly to look down at his body, sighing with relief and sinking back into another kiss with the archangel.

Everyone was alive and everything was back to normal. And the love between the both of them couldn't be greater, Gabriel realized, as he hugged Dean and cried in both happiness and relief.

**XxXx**

"Gabe? We going out or what?"

Dean's shouts reached him from his current place in the bathroom, where he was currently fixing his hair. It was good to have Dean back to normal, his voice deep again and his hair adorably short and spiky. Plus, Dean was acting like his own selfish self now that he didn't have all those hormones to deal with.

"Gimme a minute would ya, Dean? Want to make myself look decent!"

A minute later the door opened up, and Gabriel looked away from the mirror to face an incredibly sexy looking Dean.

"Your hair's fine, Gabriel. Can we go? If we don't get there early, I'm not gonna get the pie I want."

He realized he loved it when Dean pouted, as he pulled him closer to give him a ferocious kiss. It was hard to believe Dean had only been turned back last night, and he didn't even want to take a breather, instead begging Gabriel to take him out on a date.

And of course, the archangel was happy to oblige.

He breathed in the scent of Dean and smiled, pulling his mouth away from his own to gaze at his beautiful face.

"Dean."

"What?"

"You still taste like strawberries."

**XxXx**

**~I wanna live with a cinnamon girl**

**I could be happy the rest of my life**

**With a cinnamon girl~**

**XxXx**

**FIN**


End file.
